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The Knicks and Suns finalized a blockbuster trade Monday that will return Stephon Marbury to his hometown.

The Knicks acquire Marbury and Penny Hardaway from Phoenix for Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, the rights to Milos Vujanic, two first-round draft picks, and cash, ESPN.com has learned.

The trade still requires NBA approval. The Suns will get the Knicks' first-round pick this year and a future conditional first-round pick.

The trade will be the fourth of Marbury's career. The Brooklyn native was drafted by Milwaukee and immediately traded to Minnesota, where he subsequently forced a trade to New Jersey.

The Nets traded him to Phoenix for Jason Kidd, and he now could be headed to the Knicks in the first major move made by new team president Isiah Thomas.

The trade is a major shakeup of both teams. Phoenix, in exchange for its best player, would be gaining salary cap flexibility that would allow the Suns to rebuild a team that was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season after missing the postseason a year earlier.

The contracts of McDyess and Ward expire at the end of this season, and Ward has a buyout clause that can be exercised before Jan. 10.

Eisley is under contract for three more seasons; Vujanic, the starting point guard on the Yugoslavian team that won the 2002 World Championships, is playing in Europe.

kingrex

01-05-2004, 01:06 PM

Nice bold move by Zeke. I hope it pans out for him.

As for Phx, good luck with all that! I guess they're rebuilding around Amare.

rakesh.s

01-05-2004, 01:15 PM

new york has got to make the playoffs this year in the L-EAST

marbury,houston,van horn,thomas and mutombo should be enough to at least get the 8th spot

MikeB

01-05-2004, 01:36 PM

WOW!
Phoenix is taking the pipe on this one.

madape

01-05-2004, 01:41 PM

This trade certainly makes the Knicks a much more competitive team. However, if I were a Knicks fan, I'd be worried that Isiah is strip mining the Knick's future for instant gratification. Two first rounders is a hell of a lot to pay for anyone, throw in a highly touted prospect like Vujacic and the Knicks have paid greatly for Starbury. At least Stephon is still young, but the Knicks better hope he's matured a hell of a lot since his second stint in New York. If he doesn't work out this time around, the Knicks are going to be in worse shape than anyone thought possible.

Speedy

01-05-2004, 01:46 PM

Long lost friends reunited at last. Anyone remember this article?

Marbury: Keith will fail here

By MITCH LAWRENCE
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

In Knick-land, Latrell Sprewell is out and Keith Van Horn is in - in for the shock of his pro basketball life, according to his former Nets teammate, Stephon Marbury.
"I don't see it working here for Keith," Marbury said bluntly at the Garden last night before he played in the 11th All-Star Classic to benefit Wheelchair Charities. "It's a whole other world here.

"I don't see Keith playing here long. I don't think he'll want to play here long. He's been put in this situation... . The atmosphere and the team is not suitable for him."

Why not?

"You've got to be way tougher than Keith is to play in New York," said Marbury, the Lincoln High legend who played two-plus seasons in Jersey with Van Horn before being shipped to Phoenix for Jason Kidd.

"You've got to be gritty," Marbury added before scoring 35 points for the New York Stars, who lost to the NBA Stars, 149-131. "You've got to be a grinder. Sprewell fits that description. Michael Jordan fits that description. So does Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson. But Keith is not a player who fits that description. I'm just being honest."

Marbury said he doesn't want to see Van Horn fail or be booed. But the latter is entirely possible because he came over in exchange for the Knicks' most popular player.

"It's not just following Sprewell that'll be tough for Keith," Marbury said. "It's just the way you've got to come out on the court from the jump. When you play here, you've got to come out and dominate from the start.

"I hope it works out for Keith. But based on the past, his numbers don't show him being a dominant player. He's a talented player, but he's not a threat like Sprewell."

madape

01-05-2004, 01:49 PM

The Knicks are reporting that Lampe was included in the deal... OUCH!

Stephon Marbury would return to his hometown as part of a multiplayer trade tentatively agreed to Jan. 5 by the Knicks and Suns. The Knicks would acquire Marbury, Anfernee Hardaway and Cezary Trybanski from the Suns for Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, Maciej Lampe, the rights to Milos Vujanic and cash, according to a source who is close to one of the players and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Two other sources close to the teams confirmed the tentative deal. The trade would be the fourth of Marbury's career.

MikeB

01-05-2004, 01:50 PM

Best guess...Van Horn is next. Keep your bags packed Keith!

jayC

01-05-2004, 01:58 PM

In the east the Knicks are still in the fight for the Atlantic division this should level the playing field for the Knicks. As far future goes, the future is now. Especially in a big market, with big expectations and perhaps a bigger payroll.

sturm und drang

01-05-2004, 01:59 PM

People always claim that's impossible to rebuild a NY team - expectations are too high, and the fans don't accept it. I guess that's why the Knicks are leveraging their future in hopes that the four-times-traded Starbury and the way-past-peak Penny can save them from the "rebuilding" bin.

Seems myopic to me. Starbury may be an immensely gifted athlete, but the fact that he's been traded now four times in his career is... well, wouldn't it make you think twice about trading your whole future (2 first rounders, Lampe, cap space) for him?

I'll take it, though. Those damned athletic Suns always gave us problems.

XERXES

01-05-2004, 02:09 PM

OK- then I see a stockpile of 5's and 4/5's (who would/could be 5's in Dallas) in Phoenix. Amare, McDyess, Lampe...how do we get one to Dallas?

Phoenix still gets cap relief in 2004. They get young, cheap talent in Woods. Still get Knicks 1st rounder and cash.
New York adds Harrington in this deal but dont have to give up Lampe like I think they have done.
Portland gets rid of Rasheed but do not get as much cap relief as they would if they would just keep him until the end of the year like I think they will.

SeriousSummer

01-05-2004, 02:17 PM

Word seems to be McDyess can't play anymore and Lampe isn't ready--so I don't see any 5s ready to play that are available from Phoenix.

This trade is really 4 first-round draft choices for Marbury--next year's, a later one, Vujanic (a past one playing in Europe) and Lampe who was the first pick in the second round and only fell that far because of his contractual issues.

It may be the Knicks have concluded that Lampe & Vujanic will never be contributors to the Knicks, but it's a lot to give up even for a very good player.

Max Power

01-05-2004, 02:58 PM

On the bright side for the Mavs - Nash will probably make the All Star team now that Marbury is gone.

Walkerforthree

01-05-2004, 03:01 PM

Van Horn has been playing fabulous ball lately and is having a good year, steph was wrong. Van Horn is pretty damn good, people treat him like he's a bum, i'd take those 17/8 and decent d.

Male30Dan

01-05-2004, 03:16 PM

Originally posted by: Max Power
On the bright side for the Mavs - Nash will probably make the All Star team now that Marbury is gone.

Yep, just as I mentioned it HERE!!! (http://dallas-mavs.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=3&threadid=14458)

Thanks for the echo though!!! i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif

Max Power

01-05-2004, 03:46 PM

Originally posted by: Male22Dan

Originally posted by: Max Power
On the bright side for the Mavs - Nash will probably make the All Star team now that Marbury is gone.

Yep, just as I mentioned it HERE!!! (http://dallas-mavs.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=3&threadid=14458)

Thanks for the echo though!!! i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif

I read this thread first and then went to the NBA section where I found yet another discussion of this trade and your comment about Nash. I guess great minds think alike.

jayC

01-05-2004, 03:47 PM

He was a great college player. Maybe New York is the place he gets it together who knows? I think Marbury was referring to moxy. Hes not a guy that will step up and hit big shots.

Male30Dan

01-05-2004, 04:00 PM

Originally posted by: Max Power

Originally posted by: Male22Dan

Originally posted by: Max Power
On the bright side for the Mavs - Nash will probably make the All Star team now that Marbury is gone.

Yep, just as I mentioned it HERE!!! (http://dallas-mavs.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=3&threadid=14458)

Thanks for the echo though!!! i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif

I read this thread first and then went to the NBA section where I found yet another discussion of this trade and your comment about Nash. I guess great minds think alike.